Starting device for internal-combustion engines.



I w.- 0; LUT Z'. STARTING DEVICE FOR' INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 8. 1913- 1,136,638 I Patented Apr. 207E9 3 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1-.

Qwwneowoz 3 npe wto'z I I GHOZMM 7/ w iens-lee.

ensues- STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-GOMEUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed October 8,

To all 107101761125 may concern:

Be it known that I, WXLLIAM D, L TZ, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of All'endale, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Starting Devices for Internal-Combustion Motors, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to a starting device for internal combustion motors and isdesigned with especial reference to its application to such motors when used for the propulsion of vehicles. I

More particularly the invention s concerned with starting devices in whichlthe motive power is derived from an auxiliary motor operated by electricity, air, springs, etc, an electric motor being illustrated here in for the purposes of this disclosure.

The principal object is to provide in combination with a starting motor and its con trol system, clutch elements connected oper- :itively to the starting motor and .to the crank shaft of the internal combustion engins to which the starting motor is applied, res iectivcly, and adapted to engage each other upon the operation of the starting motor to rotate the crank shaft and to disen 'a Tiron'i each other automatically upon i. the crank shaft under the power internal combustion engine at a predetermined minin'mm speed.

A further object is to constructand on range the clutch elements so that they shall. engage to transmit the turning efiort from the starting motor to the crank shaft only after the former has reached an appreciable speed.

Reference is now to be had to the accompanying drawings for a detailed description of the invention in which-- Figure l is a view partly in section and partly in outline showing the application of the invention to an automobile, the starting motor having its circuit shown diagrammatically; Fig. 2 is a view similar generally to Fig 1, but showing a somewhat modified construction of clutch elements; Fig. 3 is a detail view in front elevation of the mov able member, of the clutch shown in Fig. 2.

llhile, as indicated hereinbciore, the in-- vention is not limited in its application to motor cars, it issh'ewn and described herein in connection j with such vehicles, as it is" in this field that it finds its greatest range of usefulness. Then, tco,-while the auxiliary Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented Apr, 20, 1915; 1913. Serial N's/794,181

' of the invention.

The automobile body, indicated at a, may

be driven by an. internal combustion motor 85 mounted as usual toward the forward end of the chassis and driving, through ,the crank shaft 5 and suitable clutch 0, the rear wheels of the car. In such construction it is usual to extend the crank shaft Z) forwardly and. connect thereto a suitable crank usually disposed in front of the radiator of the vehicle, whereby, through manual operation the crank shaft may be rotated to give the pistons the required initial movement, the purposes of which will be understood.

In accordance with the present invention it is proposed to render unnecessary the manual operation referred to above and to provide an eilicient starting device which may be compactly mounted within the usual engine hood, and connected operatively through improved clutch members with the crank shaft of the internal combustion engine.

Referring now to both Figs. '1 and 2, in

which the electric systems are similar, it

will be seen that the electric starting motor (Z is connected through the usual leads d to a battery d or other available source of current. therein a movable switch e carrying a terminal 6' adapted to cooperate with a suitable fixed terminal 6 to complete the circuit. The switch 6 is arranged to be moved to closed position under the action of a magnetic core f around which passes the lead d One of the leads (2 may have from the source of current supply, the current inthis lead'serving to hold the switch in closed position and thus constituting during the operation of the starting motor, a self holding switch, It is to be noted that the initial movement of the switch 6 to closed position is brought about through the energizing of the core f by a secondary winding 9, connected in parallel with the main supply leads d from the source of current d Thecircuit of the. secondary winding may be controlled through push .buttons g.and 57, whereby the current may be started or stopped in its passage through the coil, as

will appear from an inspection of the drawing. It is apparent that as soon as the current through the secondary leads g has caused the core 7'' to move the switch a to closed position, the direct passage of current through the'motor {5 will. then be sulficient to maintain the core in its energizedspending to threads 2 formed on a. stub shaft 2', on. which the gear 71. is mounted. Un-

one end of the shaft 2 is fixedly mounted a clutch member A, in the form shown, a fly wheel having ratchet teeth k disposed lat orally on its-free face and with which are adapted to coiiperate similar ratchet teeth b formed on the proximate face of a second clutch member b carried by the crank shaft 12' of the internal combustion engine 2).

From the aforegoing description it will appear that upon rotation of the gear in as through the pinion (Z the tendency of the shaft 2 with the clutch member is to maintain its normal position. The engagement of the threads 72. on the interior of the hub of the gear hwith the threads 2' on the shaft 2, however, causes the rotation of said shaft although its tendency is to lag behind the gear 72.. This tendency results in its.

axial movement until the teeth is of the clutch member is engage the teeth 72 of the second'cl utch member Z2. At this time further relative rotation or movement of the gear 72. with respect to the clutch-member 7a is prevented by reason of the resistance to 'the rotation of the gear odered by the engine crankshaft b with which the gear is now operatively connected. Accordingly rotation of the gear in results in rotation of the crank shaft 6 and movement of the pistons of the internal combustion engine 7) until the latter is driven under its own power in:

the manner well known. Preferably the maximum speed of rotation of the clutch member 70 when actuated by the starting m0 tor (Z is less than the minimum speed of'rotation of the crank shaft 7) of the internal combustion engine b'when the latter is running under its own power. Accordingly, as soon as the internal combustion motor 7) operates under its own power-its speed almost invariably being higher than that of the starting member the teeth 5 of the clutch member I; release from engagement the teeth Ir." of the clutch member is permitting this member 70 to travel axially when the rotation of the gear h is stopped in a manner conversely to that described upon the starting of these members.

In practice, it is desirable to have the holding strength of the core f so proportioned that when the current in the leads a? drops to a point sufiicient only to operate the motor cl under no load, the movable switch member a will he released to break the motor circuit, and so it will be seen that when the internal combustion engine I) operates under its own power so as to relieve the motor d of its load, the latter will subsequently be stopped automatically through the release of the switch e resulting from the drop in current fiow in the motor cir cuit. As soon as the rotation of the gear E is thus stopped the clutch member is will travel axially on its threads to its normal position out of engagement with the clutch member b as indicated above.

The modified construction illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 falls readily within the province of this invention, as will appear from a description of the clutch elements, the rest of the structure being similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and the several elements performing similar functions.

In Fig. 2 the same reference characters are used as in Fig. 1, except in so fares the corresponding parts are of altered construction. The gear Z in mesh with the driving pinion d carries'fixedly' on one face a ratchet wheel Z? with the teeth of which cooperate pawls m carried on the'proximateface of a disk 6 keyed to the crank shaft b of the engine 7).. Upon rotation of'the gear Z by the driving pinion (l the pawls m engage the teeth ofthle ratchet wheel Z and the crank shaft 6 is rotated, as explained with reference to Fig. 1. When the engine 6 operates under its own power, however, the

preferably the minimum speed, is sufiicient to throw the pawls out of'engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel Z,.under c'en tri'fugal action. The load being thus automatically removed from" the startin motor the current in its circuit will decrease and the switch a will drop to break the circuit and stop the motor, aswill be understood. .It may happen, under-some condi tions of use that the ratchet wheel Z will be rotating when the speed of rotation of. the disk I) (driven under the engine power); is decreased appreciably and to a chat be-- low that of the rotating ratchet w eel. .In such a case, were suitable provision not made, the pawls would drop suddenly intoengagement with the" rapidly revolving ratchet wheel Z and damage the apparatus.

To'meet this condition, the pawls mhave higher speed of rotation of the disk 5 and their engaging ends rounded so that they Of course, it is obvious that upon the speed of the motor becoming reduced to that rate where the power of the springs is greater than the centrifugal force, the pawls will be caused by the springs to engage the ratchet teeth, automatically restoring the engagement, thus in case the motor stalls or otherwise is temporarily stopped, the operator can readily start it again by the startin device.

odifications and arrangements such as have been hereinbefore indicated, as well as nun ms others, obvious to persons skilled in the art, may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, provided such changes shall fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an electric apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine, an electric niotor, means to connect automatically the same with the crank shaft of the engine, a source of current supply therefor, circuits between the motor and the source of supply, a switch in the circuit, an electromagnet for holding the switch in the position in which it is moved when operated, and means for breaking the circuit of said magnet releasing the 2. An electric apparatus for starting an internal combustion engine, means to connect the same with the crank shaft of the engine, means to disconnect the same from the crank shaft of the engine, a source of the switch in the positioncurrent supply therefor, circuitsbetween the motor and the source of supply, a switch 6 in the circuit, an electromagnet for holding in which it is moved when operated, and means for breaking the circuit of said magnet releasing the switch held thereby.

i 3. An electric apparatus for starting. internal combustion engine, means to connect the same with the crank shaft a? he engine, means to automatically disconnect the same from the crank shaft of the engine, a source of current supply therefor, circuits between the motor and the source of supply, a switch in the circuit,-an electromagnet for holding the switch in the position in which it is moved when operated, and means for breaking the circuit of said magnet releasing the switch held thereby.

4. An electric apparatus. for starting an internal combustion engine, means 'to connect automatically the same with the crank shaft of the engine, means to disconnect automatically the same from the crank shaft of the engine, a source of current, supply therefor, circ its between the motor and the source of supply, a switch in the circuit, an electromagnet for holding the switch in the position in-which it is moved when operated, and means for breaking the circuit of said magnet releasing the switch held thereby.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM D. LUTZ.

'Witnesses:

lAMns Gr. Barnum, ERNEST L. GALE, Jr. 

